A statue of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, previously displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, has been relocated to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. The bronze and granite equestrian statue, which had stood outside the museum since 1939, was removed in 2020 following accusations that its depiction of Roosevelt on horseback with an American Indian and an African man on foot was racist.
The New York City Parks Department confirmed that the long-term loan agreement with the North Dakota library includes a requirement for an "Advisory Council composed of representatives of the Indigenous Tribal and Black communities" to "guide the recontextualization of the statue." This condition has been described by some critics as "cultural colonialism," imposing the values of New York City on a different region.
Sculptor James Earle Fraser, who created the statue, grew up on the frontier and was known for his depictions of Native Americans. Supporters of the statue argue that its composition was intended to symbolize Roosevelt's travels and interest in conservation across continents, with the accompanying figures representing Africa and America, not specific individuals in a subservient role. Fraser himself reportedly stated in 1940 that the figures "may stand for Roosevelt’s friendliness to all races."
Defenders of the artwork also point to Roosevelt's record on racial equality, including his efforts to end segregation in New York public schools and his invitation to Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House. However, these arguments did not prevent the statue's removal, which was supported by museum board members and some members of the Roosevelt family, following the widespread protests in 2020.
The statue's removal from New York was a complex logistical operation. The 16-foot-tall, 168,000-pound statue was transported via truck through the Holland Tunnel and across 17 states, a process that cost $2 million, funded by the library. It is currently stored in a protected facility in Dickinson, North Dakota, awaiting its permanent placement on the library's 93-acre grounds, likely along trails in the surrounding Badlands.
Legal experts suggest that New York City, as the owner of the statue, had the right to dictate how it was displayed or to remove it, citing no First Amendment violations. Meanwhile, some cultural critics lament its removal from its original prominent location, arguing for its return to the museum entrance.